Kim Kallstrom: He could be out until mid-March, so what Arsenal games will the crocked Swede miss?

A back injury has halted his Gunners career before it started

Kim Kallstrom at his Arsenal unveiling on Friday (GETTY IMAGES)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted his regret over the loan signing of the Swede Kim Kallstrom from Spartak Moscow on Sunday, as he revealed that he knew about his back injury before the transfer went through but said he had no alternative but to complete the deal on deadline day as there was no time to sign anyone else.

The experienced midfielder will be out for at least a month, possibly six weeks, scuppering plans of him covering for the Welshman Aaron Ramsey, who is also expected to miss six weeks with a thigh injury.

This means that they will both miss the Gunners' next fortnight of crucial fixtures, in which they face Liverpool twice, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Wenger said that Kallstrom will be out until late February "at the earliest" or mid-March "at the latest", so here are the matches the 31-year-old could miss.

If Kallstrom is out until late February 'at the earliest'

8 February: Liverpool (away), Premier League

12 February: Manchester United (home), Premier League

15-16 February: Liverpool (home), FA Cup

19 February: Bayern Munich (home), Champions League

22 February: Sunderland (home), Premier League

1 March: Stoke City (away), Premier League

8 March: Swansea City (home), Premier League

...and if he is out until mid-March 'at the latest'

8 March: Swansea City (home), Premier League

11 March: Bayern Munich (away), Champions League

16 March: Tottenham Hotspur (away), Premier League

Kim Kallstrom in action for Sweden, but he not close to Arsenal bow (GETTY IMAGES)

At the time of his unveiling on Friday, Kallstrom cryptically said: "I am so pleased to come here to learn as much as possible. I’m here to do my best for Arsenal and to help out the team, so we can achieve good results for the last part of the season."

So was he just talking about the "last part of the season" all along, not the second half which we thought at the time. If Arsenal reach all their remaining finals this season, and his returns mid-March, Kallstrom can play in a total of 15 matches for the club this season, and only eight in the Premier League, meaning that he will not get a winner's medal, should the Gunners win the title for the first time in 10 years.

The games that Kallstrom could actually appear in

22 March Chelsea (away) Premier League

29 March Manchester City (home) Premier League

1 April Possible Champions League quarter-final first-leg

5 April Everton (away) Premier League

8 April Possible Champions League quarter-final second-leg

12 April West Ham (home) Premier League (subject to change for FA Cup)

12/13 April Possible FA Cup semi-final

19 April Hull City (away) Premier League

22 April Possible Champions League semi-final first-leg

26 April Newcastle United (home) Premier League

29 April Possible Champions League semi-final second-leg

3 May West Brom (home) Prermier League

11 May Norwich City (away) Premier League

16 May Possible FA Cup semi-final

24 May Possible Champions League final